The music of Bayside has gotten me through many of my younger years. I know you have to “learn to drown before you learn to swim” because of Anthony Raneri, along with many other lessons. It’s been the soundtrack to overcoming and rebuilding for many moments, which makes this so interesting to me.

For Rocksound.TV, Raneri has penned a letter to his younger self. It’s some good perspective beyond being in a band, but rather anything life throws at you.

Anthony!

First of all, you don’t know shit, but you are learning. A part of me would like to tell you everything that you are going to fuck up, but you will come to find out that they are the only true ways that you are going to learn anything. Go on and make every single mistake that you are meant to, because they will make you smarter and stronger. It is going to feel like the world is crashing down a hundred times but you will be right in holding your head up and muscling through them. As a matter of fact, you should probably take more chances. You can’t control as much as you think you can. Jump on a horse, ride it wherever it takes you and if you fall off the horse, then fuck that horse. He was probably an asshole.

When it comes to your music, you are on the right track. As hard as it’s going to get sometimes, stay on your course. A number of things are going to happen that are going to make you wonder if it is worth it. It is worth it. Do your own thing. Be the flame and not the moth. You are going to watch band after band jumping on a bandwagon, following a trend and taking the easiest route. They are going to appear seemingly out of nowhere and pass you by. They will form, sell more records, draw more tickets and make more money than you in less time than it took you to get your first record deal. And then they will go away. The most valuable lesson that I have learned is that it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because they will go away. It doesn’t matter because they are doing what they do and you are doing what you do and one has nothing to do with the other. You are going to get angry and jealous of bands, of other men and anyone who’s got it better than you. You’ve got it good. Don’t waste your energy hating anyone or anything. It will only make you miserable.

I would like to tell you that things get better and everything turns out great. What you need to understand is, they already are.

That first girl that you’re going to marry is going to be a nightmare. It’s going to suck but you’re going to write some really good songs afterwards so stick it out for a couple of years. The next one is way better.

The Yankees are going to sign Alex Rodriguez but don’t get too excited about it.

They make another Indiana Jones movie but don’t get too excited about it.

Buy Apple Stock.

You can make video phone calls now like in Star Trek. Cars can’t fly though and still nothing concrete on aliens.